Moving house monday expecting hassle from sellers not rushing

[Deleted User]

Myci85 said:

I would agree thinking up a back up plan, otherwise I can quite imagine you trying to empty an entire house full of contents onto the pavement outside your new house whilst waiting for the keys. 
We had a very small chain (our vendors buying empty house, then us) and completion didn't happen until about 3pm. Thankfully we weren't moving in until a week later so it made no difference to us. 

I'll be helping the sellers empty the their contents onto the pavement !!!!!

Myci85

It does seem a bit late in the day to be starting to pack. We started packing some stuff as soon as our offer on our house was accepted, the stuff we didn't need, and then started packing in earnest as soon as we started talking about dates, living off the bare minimum in the last few weeks, and that was despite knowing we had a crossover of several weeks with both properties. Moving house is emotional and stressful for everyone, so why they'd think that would earn them special allowances...

But yes I think if it comes to it, helping them empty the house of their stuff through gritted teeth may be the best policy, and expecting that you'll need to do a full clean, just so that you can get the day over and done with. 

TripleH

Personally, with a move like this, I'd be tempted to book a night in a hotel for the peace of mind that you have a bed to sleep in and can get washed in comfort without worrying about cleaning the house first.

I have no sympathy about the owners packing as I'd have all but the essentials prepped when completion was looming. I'm grumpy I know but couldn't care about those that leave it all to the last minute.

Slinky

I suspect what OP will find is people trying to do a DIY move, shifting their stuff to their new place in a rental van. I've watched this happen with a move opposite us. The new people turned up with their professional removals van, whilst the old people were still loading up their rental van before taking stuff off to their new place to unload. It was a disaster, the new people ended up with their stuff being emptied into the garage, and the removals people helping the outgoing people load stuff into the rental van. Which had several trips to make. Dread to think what the overtime cost was.

pinkshoes

Just take a step back and be calm.

You have forced them to exchange and complete when they really weren't mentally or physically ready to move out as otherwise the entire chain would have collapsed, so you really shouldn't be surprised at the element of panic they're displaying here.

Packing up an entire house with very little notice is stressful and hard work, so they are literally asking you to be patient with them. Yes, it's inconvenient, but they will no doubt do their best, and if they can't get all their stuff out, just put it all in one room nearest the front door so it can be moved out the next day. 

As for the broadband - you'd made a plan to have their broadband cut off before a completion date had actually officially been agreed, a date that they didn't even initially agree to, so of course they told BT that NO, they will still be there, because that's probably what they genuinely thought! 

So now you've officially exchanged and have an official completion date, NOW you can order your broadband. 

Again, just take a step back and remember that these people are humans, that there are two sides to every story, and they're probably ranting just the same about you!!

House buying is stressful. 

BikingBud

pinkshoes said:

Just take a step back and be calm.

You have forced them to exchange and complete when they really weren't mentally or physically ready to move out as otherwise the entire chain would have collapsed, so you really shouldn't be surprised at the element of panic they're displaying here.

Packing up an entire house with very little notice is stressful and hard work, so they are literally asking you to be patient with them. Yes, it's inconvenient, but they will no doubt do their best, and if they can't get all their stuff out, just put it all in one room nearest the front door so it can be moved out the next day. 

As for the broadband - you'd made a plan to have their broadband cut off before a completion date had actually officially been agreed, a date that they didn't even initially agree to, so of course they told BT that NO, they will still be there, because that's probably what they genuinely thought! 

So now you've officially exchanged and have an official completion date, NOW you can order your broadband. 

Again, just take a step back and remember that these people are humans, that there are two sides to every story, and they're probably ranting just the same about you!!

House buying is stressful. 

No don't get the at all.

You start preparing for the move before you market the property.

If you've been there a long time you declutter.

As it takes months now for chains to build there is plenty of time to plan and determine out how it will all work out, right up until you find someone that hasn't bothered to consider what it entails. 

If you are not mentally prepared despite having known that the day will inevitably come there really is no excuse. Perhaps that why people stay in a house for 50 years and die surrounded by a lifetime's accumulation of clutter.

laidbackgjr

[Deleted User] said:

It does not cover delays caused by the previous owner not being organised. Think it from the Removals companies point of view - why should they wait until for example 5pm when you have the keys at 1pm? People want to get paid if they work extra.

What makes you think you'll have the keys at 1pm? Depending on the chain , banks and solicitors it can often be nearer 5pm before the house is yours and the keys released.

youth_leader

My daughter and her partner purchased in mid December, and sat outside with their removal men for hours waiting for the sellers to move out.  Sadly the young couple were separating, and trying to move themselves.  My daughter's removals men ended up helping them.  My daughter and her partner got in at 6 pm.  

MysteryMe

There's the ideal world and then there is the real world.  It's all very well saying they should have done this, they should have done that.  Well yes they should have, but they haven't and that's the situation you have to work with.

The OP hasn't even moved in yet, but appears already to be consumed with rage and stress. This is not a good place to be. End of the day the OP has decided to proceed with buying a property from people who have shown themselves to be unreliable and chaotic and to quote a "nightmare from Day 1"   The vendors did not force the OP to buy their house.

It is only assumption that completion is before 2pm, there are first hand examples on this thread of people who did not complete before then. Completion may be 4pm and have nothing to do with "lazy sellers." 

No one is saying that having to wait for hours on end after completion to be able to move in is acceptable,  of course it's not, but at least the OP has time to work out a practical and achievable plan B.

uralmaid

In Yorkshire,  Whenever we moved house,  completion was anytime from 9am onwards and we never had a problem - our removals van would turn up and pack up and by the time they were ready completion had taken place. however when we moved to Lincolnshire it was totally different. Here completion always seems to be set for 1pm onwards.  Luckily the first twice that we moved - we had purchased cash and so weren't reliant on moving into the new house on the same day.  Both of those houses completion happened at 2pm.  The first one - we were informed we could go pick up the keys at the house. Arrived there and the vendors had a friend helping them move. At 4.30 we insisted we gained access. The vendors had 10 cages of rabbits in the garage plus geese and hens. They had to collect them the next day.!  The second house - we got completion at 2pm. Went to the house and they were still packing up - again we insisted they vacate at 4pm.  This time when we moved - we were reliant on moving in on completion day.  We knew the owners were separating and moving into rented which they had already secured - so the property was empty. We got our solicitor to obtain a key holding agreement and we got the keys the day before completion which meant we could go in and clean (it needed it). Then on the day of completion we were able to move in as soon as the van was packed and ready to go. Wherever you are in the country, moving day is stressful for all sorts of reasons. i would add that when in Yorkshire I was an Estate Agent - I have seen allsorts - including a couple where the vendor of a house actually died on the morning of completion (totally unexpected) Imagine the complications that brought to a move.  Please just try and let go of the built up stress.  What will be, will be.